Exciting - The archaeological park of Herculaneum is more humble and less extensive than Pompeii, but much more interesting. The volcano filled the city with ash and, unlike in Pompeii, "respected" the archaeological remains under a layer of tens of meters of volcanic layer. I recommend going first thing in the morning to enjoy the park without hordes of tourists.

If you don't go there you can't understand! - Magical place that requires a bit of prior study to be appreciated in its complexity. It's easy to reach and the amount of things to think about is truly remarkable. The exhibition which summarizes the "Splendours and luxury of Herculaneum" together with the remains of the recovered boat complete the wonderful offer of "what happened".

Go to Herculaneum instead of Pompeii - Much smaller and more manageable site. Better preserved and an altogether more pleasant experience than Pompeii. If you can only visit one you should make it Herculaneum.

It Is Also Open On Wednesdays - Despite several cites you may read on the internet, Herculaneum is open on Wednesdays. The only days it closes during the year are Christmas and New Year. The ruins are much better preserved than the Pompeii ruins and Herculaneum continues to be an active archeological cite. It is much smaller than Pompeii and easily accessed from the Ercalano Scavi train stop from both Sorrento and Naples. The walk from the train station is easy and a straight shot to the front entrance of the park. The walk is on one of the main streets through a busy city that is safe and full of eateries. The admission is €13 but we got in free for International Women’s Day. It is also free on Sundays. Our group of four toured Pompeii two days before Herculaneum and liked Herculaneum as much if not better.

Amazing ruins - Much better than Pompeii to be honest. Less crowded and you can go into more rooms. There is more original artefacts like burnt lumber and mosaics than Pompeii (they have all been removed to museums). Can be brutal on a hot day with no shade.

An enjoyable visit. - From Ercolano station walk down the hill right to the end of the street (bit of a hike coming back up). Go through the arch opposite and carry on going to the ticket office - (I’d advise pre booking your tickets the queue is shorter). But it’s easy to access, €13 per adult on the door maybe cheaper online. You really do need the audio guide though (take your passport for I D, we didn’t and had to leave my credit card as security for the Audio phone 👎👎) Site is much smaller than Pompeii and can be done in 1/2 day ish. Wear trainers . Also take a packed lunch - no real food just machine stuff & don’t forget a filled water bottle, there is nowhere that I saw to fill up as you can do in Pompeii. Audio guide has good info but a bit expensive (about €20-25 each one. It is well worth the time and money.